Today, as I was lying in my hospital bed, I overheard a conversation between a sick elderly woman and her doctor.
The doctor was explaining to her that she did not have the physical, or mental, capability of returning home soon but that they were trying to find a resting home that would take care of her for some time. The woman was very upset with this and demanded to be returned home immediately, because her 40 year old son, that was still living at home, would not be able to eat properly if she was not there. Of course her arguments were nullified by the doctor, who had no concern for her son, but for his patient. Yet he tried to explain to her that SHE was the one that was sick, not her son, but that they could arrange so he would be able to visit her very regularly and even eat with her. (A very generous offer, I think myself.)
Of course the woman kept pleading and crying and saying that she could under no circumstances leave her son alone. She had to be there for him.
After many minutes of the doctor trying to comfort her , she finally exclaims:
"If you won't let me return home right now, then I will kill myself!"
At which point I laughed so hard I had a coughing fit and had to be helped by the nurse.
When I had recovered I thought to myself, how utterly ridiculous people can be in their reasoning. The woman was extremely upset that she would be living in a place where her son could come and visit and even eat with her, while she was taken care of properly. Yet, she didn't get even slightly upset by the idea of taking her own life - which would undoubtedly leave the son COMPLETELY and UTTERLY alone without ANYONE to care for him.
Maybe this is the complication of humanity, and the reason there will never be any humanics*.
quote from Björk
Humanics* is the qualitative science of human behaviour that the robot Giskard in Asimov's robot novels, is trying to develop.